Electrical enclosures, such as load centers, house circuit breakers which provide overcurrent protection in the distribution of power to branch circuits. A load center includes a bus system, which is formed of conductors that are connected to a single or multi-phase power source to supply power to branch circuits and their downstream load devices. The bus system includes conductive bus bars. Each bus bar typically has multiple conductive bus stabs. The bus stabs may be connected to the bus bar using fasteners, such as bolts or screws. The bus stabs are configured to receive a circuit breaker connector in order to provide interconnection of a circuit breaker to the bus bar.
When current is supplied through the conductors of the bus system to the downstream devices, heat is generated on the current carrying conductors of the bus system, particularly at the connection or fastening points such as between a bus bar and a bus stab. To satisfy thermal requirements set forth by industry regulations and standards, the bus bars and bus stabs are designed with sufficient size and thickness (e.g., oversized) to enable sufficient thermal dissipation in order to control conductor temperature below a maximum allowed temperature during operation. However, the bus bars and bus stabs are typically made of costly conductive materials or metals, such as copper. Thus, the use of more conductive material in the design of the bus system increases the overall costs of a load center.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved bus system for a load center, which utilizes less conductive materials, while still satisfying thermal and electrical requirements for a load center.